This time of year, dry weather and cooler temperatures typically keep mosquito populations low in Palm Beach County. However, weather systems that recently moved through the area have caused unusually high mosquito populations to develop, prompting the county’s Mosquito Control Division to conduct an unprecedented December spray program.
The weather system’s accompanying high winds have complicated matters by preventing the use of aerial spraying as wind speeds have exceeded the legal application limit. Aerial spraying requires a narrow range of wind conditions, between 2 mph and 10 mph, to effectively reduce mosquito populations. In the meantime, spraying will be conducted by trucks, and crews will be working in areas with the most severe mosquito activity in the county.
Aerial spraying will resume delivering wide-area relief as soon as wind conditions allow, perhaps over the holidays. We ask that the residents of areas plagued with mosquitoes be patient while all efforts are made to deliver mosquito control services to these areas.
To further help control mosquitoes, residents are asked to drain or minimize standing water on their properties.
